Gazprom Neft confirms cooperation agreement for the production and supply of new-generation bitumens on major St Petersburg road project

Gazprom Neft confirms cooperation agreement for the production and supply of new-generation bitumens on major St Petersburg road project

18 June 2015

Gazprom Neft has used the occasion of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum to announce the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with the Magistral Northern Capital consortium (currently responsible for developing the Western High-Speed Diameter (ZSD) motorway project).

This document, signed by Gazprom Neft Deputy CEO Anatoly Cherner and First Deputy CEO of Northern Capital Highway, LLC Elena Lukianova, envisages cooperation on the production of a range of innovative bitumens and the potential use of these on the Western High-Speed Diameter motorway in St Petersburg, supplied through the company’s bitumens subsidiary, Gazpromneft BM.

Gazprom Neft leads the domestic market in the production of high-technology bitumen products. In 2014 the company’s Moscow Refinery began production of innovative polymer-modified bitumens (PMBs) under its G-Way Styrelf brand, the application of which considerably increases the useful life of highways and roads, as well as reducing costs in their usage and maintenance. In 2015 Gazprom Neft completed the first stage of the modernisation of Russia’s most significant facility for the production of polymer—bitumen binders (*PBV), located in Ryazan.

Construction of the ZSD is a flagship project for St Petersburg, implemented under a public—private partnership (PPP). The new motorway will unite the north and south of the city, with more than half of the route running on artificial structures including flyovers, bridges, viaducts and a tunnel, with the central section being laid overwater through the Gulf of Finland. Successful international experience is being widely applied in the construction of the route, with future transport volumes and traffic loads already being taken into account at the design stage.

Anatoly Cherner, Gazprom Neft CEO for Logistics, Processing and Sales commented: “The production of innovative products is a priority for Gazprom Neft’s bitumen business, and quality markers suggest we are, already, ahead of many domestic and international companies — an advantage we are achieving through the use of cutting-edge technologies, investment in infrastructure, and the thorough pre-processing of feedstock. I have no doubt that participation in what is a genuinely significant project for St Petersburg in the construction of the ZSD will allow us to demonstrate the competitive advantages of a new generation of bitumens, while residents of St Petersburg will see a well-deserved improvement in the quality of roads built with our products.”

Notes for editors

Established in October 2014, Gazpromneft Bitumen Materials (Gazpromneft BM LLC) is a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, specialising in the production and sale of bitumen products and leading the domestic market, achieving sales of 1.8 million tonnes of bitumen materials in 2014.

The company’s key production facilities are based in the Moscow, Omsk, Yaroslavl and Ryazan Oblasts, as well as in Serbia and Kazakhstan. The company produces road, construction and roofing bitumens, as well as polymer-modified bitumens and binders (specifically G-Way Styrelf), and a range of emulsions and mastic compounds.

G-Way Styrelf is a polymer-modified bitumen (PMG) produced by Gazprom Neft, a key element of which involves the addition of a special binding agent (PAXL) which results in additional bonding at the molecular level, meaning road surfaces are built with bitumens far more resistant to cracking and fracturing, even under significant traffic loads and under widely ranging temperatures. The useful life of such roads is increased two-fold in comparison with those surfaced with traditional bitumens.

*Polymer—bitumen binders are based on traditional bitumens, with the addition of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymers and a plasticizer. Polymer—bitumen binders demonstrate better quality in comparison with traditional bitumen, including greater resistance to warping, better endurance under extreme temperatures, and greater resistance against deterioration.